Cruel Summer
by Clarista
Summary: This fic is set after episode 18, when CBNS reunite at the vdB Hamptons house.
1. Somber Return

A/N: This is a story set up a while after where episode 18 ends. It's when CBNS are reunited at the van der Bass Summer house at the Hamptons. As to how the cliffhanger is played out…well you're just going to have to read to find out. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing of Gossip Girl, but I do wish I owned a certain hot Brit by the name of Ed Westwick.

XXX

It was half past eleven when they arrived. The limo came to swift stop and Chuck for the first time in hours, put aside his book and looked up at Blair. She did not look back. Not obviously at least.

"Mademoiselle"

"Merci"

Blair looked up at the gorgeous estate. It had once belonged to a British duke, and had been passed down for years to random buyer…until now. Mr. Bass had bought it in honor of his and Lily's new family. It was a beauty, a cross of the house of Tom Buchanan and that of Gatsby.

"Mademoiselle," breathed a low voice in her ear.

Blair turned to see Chuck's face inches away from hers, his hand in a tight grasp at her side. One look into his dead dark eyes and she shuddered inside.

Blair dug her nails into his flesh and ignoring his cry of pain, unhinged his fingers off of her.

"Touch me again and you die Bass."

He didn't say anything, nor did he nurse his throbbing hand. Instead, on his face a visible grimace, Chuck left the petit brunette alone to ascend the front steps. Alone to enter into the gorgeous living parlor, where all sat and were serenaded with a pianist and a flute player.

"Blair darling" Lily came over to offer a warm hug, champagne glass at hand. "Where is Charles?"

Blair contemplated covering for him, for herself…putting on a dazzling red lipped smile. But as soon as the corners of her mouth pulled back her bottom lip gave a slight twitch and she swallowed back a sob. She wasn't going to do this.

"_Charles _is out getting high."

The looks on the faces of Lily and Bart were hilarious. Their tight lipped smiles almost made this worth it. Hell, Blair almost smiled. Nate and Eric certainly did.

"Champagne?"

Blair nodded gratefully and took the offered glass from the hired help. One sip and she felt all the more at peace, even if it was just a tiny bit.

"Nathaniel?"

Nate's grin disappeared and nodded quickly at Bart, the two men having reached a quiet understanding.

"I'll go get Chuck." He stood up quickly and sent Blair a wide grin before disappearing out the room, "Good to see you again B."

Blair did not smile back. Instead she turned to Lily, whom still stood next to her.

"Is Serena home?"

Lily frowned at herself, but smiled it off a mere second later.

"No. She has been out all day, showing Pierre around."

"Pierre?"

"Yes, didn't Charles tell you? Pierre Casiraghi is here for a little while. Charles Called ahead to inform us of his visit…"

Blair's gave a small twitch at having received this information. But she too smiled it off.

"Charming."

Lily studied her with soft eyes, and smiled lightly.

"Blair, darling you look rather tired. Would you like to be shown to your room now?"

Blair nodded quickly, and for the first time that day she gave in and let her exhaustion overtake her. And after thanking Lily and excusing herself from the room, she followed a redhead maid out and away. She kept her champagne at hand and only once inside did she chug it empty.

Back at the living parlor Bart stared after Blair in contemplation. He then called over another maid, a young blond this time and put with strict directions that she and Anya were to do everything in their power to make sure the young Miss. Waldorf was at complete comfort during her stay at the house. The young woman nodded quickly and went off in her way to complete this task.

XXX

"So you gonna tell me what happened?"

Nate how found the young Bass heir sitting on a lounge chair, his feet up on some table, overlooking the gardens that were now dimly lit and glowing under the moonlight.

Chuck looked up into the soft blue eyed gaze of his best friend. He said nothing.

"You gonna share at least?"

Chuck twisted his joint between his long fingers in contemplation and finally passed it over. Nate took a long drag and settled down in a chair next to him.

They sat still and said nothing for some time. And then a figure, or two, appeared from afar. As they drew closer the boys could identify two tall blonds, a girl in a short flowing white dress and a boy in a white Polo and shorts.

"Chuckles!"

Serena ran up to her step brother, having now had spotted him, and threw her drunk self on him in an awkward hug. Chuck, rubbing at his nose where Serena's upper arm had just collided with, reclaimed his joint and took a drag. He blew the smoke in the face of the flushed blond now seated on the table on top of which his feat had just been resting.

Serena coughed and waved the smoke off, but she did not mind. If anything she snatched the joint from Chuck and took a drag herself. She then offered it to the tall blond boy who stood on her side, and had not yet spoken a word.

"What was the hug for S?"

"I missed you…and it was thanks. For bringing Pierre…" Serena's eyes now travelled to the tall boy again and they shared a smile. When she turned to her brother again her eyes were wide and starry. Chuck almost gagged, and Nate did…secretly.

"Where is Blair, Chuck?"

Chuck shrugged indifferently and it was Nate who answered, his own eyes meeting Serena's in mutual agreement._ The young Bass had messed the fuck up. _A second later their two hands had slapped Chuck, Nate on the back of the head and Serena across his face…well except Serena was too drunk to have perfect target and she ended up whacking his nose, a second time that day.

Chuck groaned and rubbed at his nose again. He glared at his two best friends and shrugged once more. Then he looked up at Pierre, whose Blue eyes had met his own in a secret agreement between them. The tall blond now smiled, and took his place on the table beside Serena.

"Give Bass a break."

Serena and Nate turned to him, each had a brow arched.

"He was bad...but with us, it's only ever a Sabestien Valmont ordeal."

Pierre than laughed, making his comforting air seem even less convincing.

XXX

"I know it's late, but you said that you will be in town and I—I really need to see you."

"Thanks Ben, I—sure, of course. If you text me the address of your summer house then I'll come by, shall we say, for late brunch?"

Blair fiddled with the hem of her slip for a second before smiling into her phone.

"Good. I'll see then."

Snapping her phone shut, Blair placed it on her vanity. She then avoided the mirror and slipped quickly into the softness that was her bedding, and paying little mind to her throbbing head she fell fast sleep. Tomorrow would be a better day, maybe.


	2. Don't Lie to me

—Flashback to earlier that summer—(Tuscany)—

Blair tugged at the bottom of her dress, admiring the way it settled about her hips. Just a fresh coat of gloss and she'd be ready to—

The door of the suite clicked open behind her.

"Blair."

Blair started. Her lipstick tumbled between her fingers, leaving a smudge of red on the corner of her mouth.

"I didn't—I had thought that you were expecting me. I sent you a text message."

Blair did not react. She didn't even turn around to face him. Instead she picked up her napkin and began to reapply her gloss. She seemed strangely calm.

"I stopped reading your texts Bass, just about the time you stopped answering mine."

He watched her in the mirror and unconsciously her eyes drew to his. Something changed in his face. And he made his way towards her, stopping only when they were inches apart.

"You look delicious Waldorf," he breathed into her ear, his arms circling around her waist. "Absolutely gorgeous."

Blair didn't respond. And neither did she move away. No, instead she smirked, catching his eyes again in the vanity mirror.

"I'm sure my date will agree."

"Your date?"

Blair ignored him. She went on, primping in the mirror, as though he was not wrapped around her.

"His standards however, are far superior to _yours_. The compliment will mean all the more coming from him."

His grip had tightened around her, and he pulled her warm flesh closer to him. Once again Blair did not resist. Only her smirk widened.

"What date?"

Blair laughed him off and finally forced his arms off of her. She then turned on the spot and faced him, their bodies only inches away.

"Poor Bass. You didn't think a young heiress would be single long in Tuscany, now did you?"

Chuck laughed at this, though it was of a bitter humorless nature.

"I would expect Serena to whore around, sure. But you? That's a surprise Waldorf."

"Surprise? You know what was a surprise for me? Being ditched on our _romantic _getaway while you, as I assume, were whoring around."

He met Blair's eyes and smiled coldly.

"We're not exclusive Waldorf. I can do whatever the hell I want."

"As can I."

Chuck's face had hardened all through this bit, and finally his smile matched hers…as did the dead look in his eyes. They shared in a twisted hateful gaze. And just as suddenly the moment was gone; broken when Chuck blinked.

Just as suddenly his expression had changed and he stared down at her with heavy lidded eyes, a lecherous leer had replaced that loaded smile.

"It matters not. I'm here now. Ditch the loser, whoever it is."

His hand reached for her again. This time running along the length of her torso, where her dress had made a perfect fit. Blair covered his hand with hers, just when it had come to a halt at the top of her hip.

"And display bad manners? I think not."

Blair smiled again, ever the more malicious…and in the Waldorf fashion, ever the more sweet.

Chuck pulled his own hand away and glanced around for a bit before he spoke next.

"Than in that case, do have a lovely evening Waldorf."

Blair started but took hold of herself quickly. Reworking that injurious smile, she searched for his gaze again. But even when their eyes met next, the blankness in his put them miles and miles apart.

"Aren't you going to ask who he is?"

Chuck shrugged and Blair felt her own face harden.

Blair was ready to lash out, stab him where it would hurt the most—but suddenly and surprisingly she was exhausted. Simply too tired of this.

"Chuck why are you here so late? I gave you the benefit of a doubt when you missed your flight…but it's been nearly a week. I'm due at Lyon on Tuesday."

"What's your point Waldorf?"

"Were you whoring around? Is that why you're late?"

"I couldn't book a flight for days. I tried for—"

"Don't lie to me."

He said nothing.

"What have you been doing these past days Chuck? Why the hell are you so late?"

Chuck took his sweet time answering. When he had, it was after settling about on a piece of furniture, somewhere across their suite bar.

"I've been hanging out with Nate and Serena."

"Doing wha—Nate and…"

And just like that in typical Bass men fashion Chuck had hit just the right button. He could almost see those words working themselves into Blair's pretty head.

_Nate and Serena_

"Are they…are they hanging out?"

A flash of anger passed through Chuck's eyes. He could not believe that she would so outright admit that she was—oh who was he kidding, this had been his goal all along. He smiled bitterly nevertheless and gave a curt nod. Blair's pale features lost even more color, making her red lips look strangely dark…like a dying rosebud.

"Doing what?"

Chuck didn't answer.

"I asked you a question Bass."

"And I would love nothing more than to answer that and any other questions you might have about any variety of things. But we've talked for 10 minutes now Blair and I assume that your _date_ is waiting."

Blair looked composed and spoke up again, coolly. Something in her voice however broke and Chuck took notice.

"Just answer the question."

"Fine. I didn't fuck anyone. But I can't say who Nate may or may not be fucking."

His voice was so bitter that she almost shuddered. She could not understand his contempt towards her. And normally she would not take this, not from anyone. But there was something wrong and she knew it. There was a tremor at the back of his every word, a rare glint of fright in his eyes.

"You need to go Chuck. "

He grimaced up at her, but did not resist.

"Get yourself a new suite, and come meet me here tomorrow, for lunch. We'll talk then."

Chuck shrugged and got up to leave. Before he had reached the door however he turned around and smiled his first sincere smile of the day.

"You do look rather beautiful Blair. A great deal more than he deserves…more than anyone deserves."

Blair worked hard to keep her face indifferent, and once he had left she held back a sob.

She then reached into her purse and found her phone, dialing as fast as her trembling fingers would allow.

"Hey Ben…how bout we skip dinner? I need a drink, I need a few drinks. Meet me at that hillside place, a few blocks up?"


	3. Surprise Her

With an hour to kill before her supposed brunch date with Ben, Blair Waldorf made up and ribboned, decided to go about the house and earn herself a proper welcome back by her friends. Namely Serena. Once she had found said blonde this notion had gone straight out the door, for Serena was passed out on a chair at the poolside; a mess in her blond tangles and her pale silk robe.

Blair wrinkled her nose first at her and next at the blonde's companions who too were decked out on the poolside, perhaps more upright.

Chuck and Nate grinned back at her amongst the smoke of their Cubans, both clearly cheerful and probably as she guessed due to a hit they must have had some time that morning.

Cheerful or not however, there was a question that was born within Chuck at the sight of Blair. He stopped a grimace and settled his face into a leer and asked it in a poised tone.

"Where are you going Waldorf?"

Blair didn't answer. And Chuck didn't ask again.

Truth was he already knew the answer; it was that damn red gloss…that special shade she reserved for times like this.

Not ready to see the back of her however, Chuck asked her another question. This time of a less sensitive topic.

"You wanna sit?"

He had patted his thigh, where he so desperately wanted her butt pressed down against...actually there were a few more places he wanted her ass pressed against, like—Blair answered him with a leer of her own. Hers of a malicious nature.

Chuck almost smiled at this, her malice springing tender affection within him.

"Come on Blair," he patted his thigh again and locked eyes with her. Offering a small smile he even put out his Cuban…and so finally she made her way over, standing in place and glaring until he had parted his thighs. Only then did she slide her butt up the cool metal chair and slammed it, with obvious purpose, into his groin. Chuck groaned softly in pain and Nate smirked into his lemonade drink (with one shot...okay two shots, of liquor).

Hardly pleased to be around ex-boyfriend number one (number two still in the making), Blair glared at the dirty-blond boy as though he was responsible for whatever wicked that was in her way.

"What are _you_ still doing here, Archibald?"

Nate shrugged at her hostile tone but reacted in good nature.

"Mom's vacationing in Brazil."

Aka. Mom is visiting dad in his South American 'jail'

"I didn't want to hang around the house alone."

Blair scoffed and turned away, hardly in the mood to indulge in farther conversation with him. To the far left, Serena muttered something in her sleep and resumed on, nibbling on a lock of her own hair. She had turned however, turned enough to make her left cheek visible and with that the smudged mark made upon it visible.

"Is that—"

"Yeah. It's Nathaniel's masterpiece."

Blair scrunched her nose at her ex again and commented on the small limp nature of his phallic caricature. Chuck laughed gaily and Nate in good nature…and even Blair cracked a smile of her own.

Just like that, there was this odd little moment of peace borne between the three friends (those passed out, not counting). And Blair found herself leaning back and allowing Chuck to engulf her small frame into his arms. She was pressed up against his chest and could feel his heart pounding against her thinly clothed back. She smiled in despite of herself. And for a second they fell into a rhythm, with their every breath and their every heartbeat.

Blair breathed in his familiar scent, engulfed quickly by a tide of memories, most of which involving him sliding between her legs and her sliding along his torso. But then came bad and the ugly, and as quickly as she had sat (even more quickly perhaps) she had sprang up and with a venomous look and scathing words she had left the side of the two boys, deciding that between the two a girl could possibly be driven to drive herself off a cliff.

It was none other than Lily who passed Blair as she stormed off, the newly Mrs. Bass on her way to join her daughter and step-son by the pool. One look at Blair's face and Lily's resolution for the trip became more firm.

"Charles,"

Chuck looked up sheepishly at his step-mother. He recognized that tone.

"A word please…alone?"

Nate took the hint and got up quickly. He even went over to pick up Serena at Lily's indication of a head jerk, and he too smiled sheepishly when the elder blonde registered the black-marker mark on the younger's face.

Lily sighed, smiled and dismissed Nate with a muttered, "it's better than any punishment I could have given her." She then settled down on Nate's vacated seat and looked seriously at Chuck.

"Blair was upset last night, she is upset today…is there something you need to tell me?"

Chuck didn't say anything at first. It was darn shame he had such a soft spot for his step-mother. Oh hell, she would get it out of him anyway.

"Charles relationships are hard and gruesome, but you don't want to wait till your fourth marriage to make things work…"

"It's not that."

Chuck sighed and kept on.

"It's not Blair."

"Then what is it darling?"

Chuck was silent again. This was not so much sprung from his desire to remain silent, but due to the mere fact that this was a thing that was hard to verbalize.

"I love her, Blair, I really do. But…"

"But?"

Chuck smiled sadly the beautiful blonde woman that was his step-mother. A few years from now he would not have to say.

"You have not been a Bass for long enough Lily dear. You cannot comprehend when I say that jail bail is the greatest form of love around here."

Lily chuckled humorlessly, and Chuck joined. He had been right; she did not comprehend.

"Well Bart adores Blair; he is more grievous than I by her current state. In fact he is planning to have a talk with you tonight, after dinner."

Chuck grinned and shook his head.

"Of course Bart approves. He'd marry us off right now if he thought we'd oblige."

"I can't blame him. It would do you a lot of good Charles."

Chuck did not deny, but he did smile almost bitter-sweetly at the pool.

"It's not Bart's fault by person. It's just the nature of the situation. People are who they are for a multitude of reasons. As much as I love Blair (and I do Lily, I love that girl a hell of a lot more than I'm comfortable loving anything), things are not gonna change."

"But Serena…" and Lily caught herself in time.

Chuck noticed and smiled sadly again.

"The booze, drugs, and the sex can be done away with. It's not why we UES kids do it Lily. Serena and I can go without them and be good for a while, weeks, months…maybe even years. But the situation never changes, and despite giving up the substances of mischief, who we are, and what we are will always be there."

"Without the drugs and…and sex—"

"Serena was still the same messed up girl, Lils…no offense. She still lied and kept on her secrecy, she was still so completely closed off…the drugs and the sex are a means of a solution, never the problem."

Lily took a shaky breath and eyed Nate's discarded drink before speaking again and claiming said drink.

"What are you saying Charles?"

"I could try and be a good boyfriend to Blair, I could try to be open and caring…a lot of other vulgar things people in healthy relationships are. But at the end of the day I'm still that messed up kid brought up in a Bass world, and everything that's defective is gonna show itself one way or other."

"Charles…"

Chuck met her gaze and she blinked away tears. Her kids too were part of this, were of this. Even she herself was, fourth marriage and still counting. She turned back to him, glassy eyed and reached out to squeeze his hand. And just like that he found himself telling her that last part, the thought he had never said aloud.

"I'd be willing to do all that for Blair, to be good...but let's be real Lils, the moment she gets too close its game over, even if she loves me as much as Humphrey loved Serena."

Lily reacted slightly to this, and Chuck's voice was lowered into an almost whisper.

"Father reminded me of all the things this entails that I do not have, that I've never had and cannot just conjure up from thin air."

"Blair isn't Dan, Charles…"

"Everyone is Dan, not at first, but in the end it's all gonna go down the same way."

"She could surprise you."

Chuck laughed at this; the sound lightened the darkened mood a great deal.

"I don't doubt it."

_I wouldn't be hanging on for dear life if I did._

Lily smiled, and she hugged him (held on for a few moments too long)...then she went back inside. And Chuck now stared across the golden sky. Maybe Blair would surprise him, but perhaps he had to surprise her first instead.

And with that thought he sprang from his seat and got on the phone with his driver. Decided that he might as well start things with a bang.


End file.
